


Sleep

by teamcharm



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, M/M, ferdinand and hilda work in a mattress store and byleth is their manager, i dont know how to tag this honestly, linhardt be like: snzzz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-12-21 12:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21074972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teamcharm/pseuds/teamcharm
Summary: "Five...more...minutes..." Linhardt told him sleepily as he closed his eyes for another round of napping."Absolutely not! Or not here anyways. Linhardt do you even know where you are?" Ferdinand inquired. Why was he sleeping in a mattress store. Why didn't Ferdinand see him earlier?"Hm...does it matter?" Linhardt responded to his question with a question. "Goodnight," Linhardt lied down on the mattress, sinking into the comfortable material.OR AU where Ferdinand works in a mattress store and Linhardt falls asleep and it's closing time.





	Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> This caters to absolutely no one but my friend, who i actually wrote this for so!! I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> This is based on some prompt i saw on tumblr (that I showed my friend and he suggested this in the first place) but alas, i lost the pic for it/prompt so i dont remember exactly how it goes. I think it was something like you work in a mattress store and it’s closing time and you find someone sleeping.

**"Attention dear guests, the time is 8:45. MattrezzZ will be closing in fifteen minutes" ** A pause. **"If you stay past closing you're legally required to help us clean up."**

The announcement echoed throughout the store. 

Ferdinand frowned at the last bit. "What a poor joke from our manager."

"Meh," Hilda, a coworker of Ferdinand's, shrugged. "She has a point. God I hate it when customers overstay their welcome. They might as well help us close if they think they can just come in five minutes like they own this place before closing," Hilda complained about yesterday's shift. 

Hilda fished out a kitkat from the counter and started unwrapping it. Ferdinand gave her a pointed look. "Whaaat." she stopped peeling off the wrapper. "It's fine, I already put in the cash in the register. But goodness, I deserve this for free with all the bullshit I deal with on this job."

"Surely...our job is not that bad?" Ferdinand earnestly asked her. Maybe he was different from all the other employees, but he enjoyed working at this mattress store called MattrezzZ. When he was looking for jobs, this shop caught his eye with its rather unique name. 

Ferdinand enjoyed working here. He enjoyed helping others, he enjoyed being a team player yet also holding individual responsibility, and he enjoyed the friendly relations he had with his coworkers and managers. Even if some work days were slow or terrible, overall it did not feel like he was working her out of convenience; even if that was the case actually. 

"Oh Ferdinand," Hilda sighed. "I wish I could have your optimism. Sometimes, working in retail is hell. Fuck customers."

"What a wonderful attitude Hilda," Byleth, their manager, told her. "You would make a fantastic employee of the month." 

"Oh...heavens no..." Hilda laughed. "I could possibly never live up to such great expectations," Hilda waved off Byleth's comment even if it was meant to be a joke. "Edelgard can have that honor."

Edelgard von Hresvelg...she was the current employee of the month. She's been an employee of the month for three months in a row now, and Ferdinand just couldn't seem to have an edge over her. 

He did not know what he was doing wrong. He covered shifts, he helped many of his colleagues, he dealt with...overbearing customers, he did it all. Yet, the title seemed so far away from him. 

But he was Ferdinand von Aegir. He was not a quitter. This motivated him to work even harder, even if this was just a simple retail shop. 

"Hilda, don't forget you're closing today," Byleth reminded her as she checked their registers. 

"Ferdinand, I don't think we have any customers but, make the rounds anyways will you? We don't want another...green man incident," Byleth told him. In truth the situation was not as bad as their manager made it sound. The man just somehow managed to slip their attention, and ended up sleeping the whole night at the shop.

Ferdinand was very perplexed and disoriented when he saw Linhardt, who didn't even work here, at the store before it was even supposed to open for business. It was a good thing for them that Linhardt is completely harmless and just a perpetual sleeper. 

Though Ferdinand couldn't help but wonder how one would steal a mattress. It seems like it would be quite a difficult task to do. 

"Okay you're all set. Nothing looks out of order, so I'll be taking my leave. Good work everyone," Byleth said. 

"Of course! We strive to do our best every day," Ferdinand proclaimed proudly. 

"Ah, yes. You enthusiasm is much appreciated Ferdinand," Byleth patted his shoulder. 

Hilda didn’t begin to complain until their manager was out of ear shot. “Ugh! I want to go home! This shift has been long enough."

"Well, we'll be going home soon once we close and recheck everything," Ferdinand reassured Hilda. "Time will fly by!"

"I'm just...so tired. I sprained my wrist earlier during storage duty, and it hurts so much..." Hilda's hand massaged her wrist. "Should I have it checked out? Ah, it's probably nothing major though," she batted her eyes at him innocently. 

"Why didn't you say so earlier, and to the manager?! Please have that checked out immediately. Worry not Hilda, I'll close for you."

"Are you sure?" she asked, tilting her head a bit.

"Your health is very important; please take care of yourself Hilda," he urged. "Me closing today instead of you is nothing. If Byleth asks, I'll explain the situation," Ferdinand reassured her.

"Thank youuuu so much Ferdinand! You're a lifesaver, I know I can always count on you!" Hilda gave him a radiant smile. "Would you like some of my kitkat?" She offered.

"Thank you for the kind offer, but no thank you. I'm just looking out for my coworker and friend," Ferdinand told her the truth. 

"You're so nice Ferdinand, it's admirable. I wish I was like you."

.............

His eyes carefully eyed every corner of the store as he passed by all the displays. Though it was not his job, he tidied up anything that seemed out of order. As he adjusted the crooked price sign in front of one of the mattresses his eye caught something...green? 

Since when did MatrezzZ start selling green pillows? Was this part of their new inventory?

Ferdinand went to inspect this curious sight but no, it was not a green pillow. It was a person. Sometimes people did fall asleep on mattresses, but it was usually children. This was an adult, sleeping the night away.

It was Linhardt. 

Ferdinand sighed to himself at this sight.

Not this again. 

He cleared his throat with an 'Ehem' but that hardly got Linhardt's attention. He spoke in his most professional customer service voice he could possibly muster. "Sir, we are closing in eight minutes.

But Linhard did not respond to his words. The only thing Ferdinand heard out of him was light snoring. How Linhardt managed to fall asleep in the most ridiculous places and spots amazed Ferdinand to some degree; he strangely admired such a peculiar talent. It reminds Ferdinand of the time he saw Linhardt passed out on the stairs of their university, with his laptop open, and only one word written. It was 'mitochondria'. Ferdinand was surprised that no one robbed Linhardt of his possessions...not that citizens should commit crimes, but it was reality that people did steal from one another. 

Seeing that he had no other choice, Ferdinand tapped the sleeping man on the shoulder. "Linhardt," Ferdinand firmly said, but Linhardt did not respond. Not verbally at least; his hand seemed to move on top of Ferdinand's, and gripped it. However, it was not a gentle touch. Surprisingly Linhardt had more strength in him than he ever showed because he was crushing Ferdinand's hand. 

"Linhardt, wake up. We're closing," Ferdinand pleaded with him but once again, Linhardt did not respond. "Okay, you leave me with no other choice then." 

Ferdinand shook Linhardt awake. The man opened his eyes slowly. "Finally, you're awake!"

"Five...more...minutes..." Linhardt told him sleepily as he closed his eyes for another round of napping.

"Absolutely not! Or not here anyways. Linhardt do you even know where you are?" Ferdinand inquired. Why was he sleeping in a mattress store. Why didn't Ferdinand see him earlier?

"Hm...does it matter?" Linhardt responded to his question with a question. "Goodnight," Linhardt lied down on the mattress, sinking into the comfortable material. 

"Linhardt." 

"What?"

"You are in a mattress store. We are closing in," Ferdinand checked his watch, "six minutes," he laid out all of the facts of the current situation. 

Linhardt didn't really seem to be bothered by what Ferdinand told him though. "Just leave me here and I'll," Linhardt yawned, "sleep more. I had the most interest nap where I also was sleeping."

"You were sleeping...in your own dream?" Ferdinand stared at him, with his mouth agape. Surely he knew that Linhardt slept for an abnormal amount of time but...to sleep in one's own dreams too? 

"You say that like it’s unusual...what do you dream of Ferdinand?"

"I don't get dreams often," Ferdinand admitted. "But my last vivid dream was about eating frogs."

"They say that dreams can be omens sometimes of what's to come," Linhardt told him in a matter of fact.

Ferdinand sweated. "What does eating frogs mean?"

"Don't know. I'm not a dream expert," Linhardt gave him an unsatisfying answer. "Do you ever get dreams about your past life?"

"My past life? Do you believe it's possible to dream of such a thing?" Ferdinand asked him out of curiosity. Maybe he has gotten a few bizarre dreams before in his life, but he never gave much thought to it. One time he dreamed of becoming a vampire and then dying immediately as he made contact with the sun, but that couldn't possibly indicate a past life. 

"Well, this is just a hypothetical question. Sometimes I dream of faces I've never seen before, and a battlefield filled with blood. Makes me wonder if that's all there is to it...They say that if you dream of people, you've seen them before in your life yet I don't know these people," Linhardt thought aloud. 

"Ah, I see. I cannot say I have...But these are just dreams?" Ferdinand asked but he couldn't but falter in thought. To dream of a life you never had, that perhaps would make him question his dreams too. Ferdinand wondered if he ever had a dream like that, where he saw people he knew in a different life, but didn't recognize in this one. It's quite a sad thought, if it's possible. To retain all of your memories from your past life, but to have none of the people you know recognize you. 

"Dreams are fascinating subject...maybe I'll dream of something different next time. Allow me to test that out. Goodnight," Linhardt stopped looking at Ferdinand and closed his eyes. 

Ferdinand frowned. "I can't let you do that."

"Why not?"

"There's multiple reasons as to why I cannot allow you to do that. For one, we are closing and my responsibility and duty as an employee of this establishment means I cannot let you stay inside MattrezzZ past working hours. I would also get in trouble with my manager as this would be the second time we have caught you sleeping in this store, which would also hurt my chances of getting employee of the month, and third is that you could get unlucky and what if robbers broke into-" Ferdinand started listing off every possible reason as to why Linhardt can't stay, but Linhardt cut him off.

"Okay, okay. I get it. I'll leave." But Linhardt made no attempts to get up. He just awkwardly laid on the mattress, with his upper half of the body on the mattress, and his legs hanging over the ground. It did not look like a comfortable sleeping position.

"Linhardt..." Ferdinand just stared at him, feeling a bit hopeless. This felt like a repeat of what happened in their bio lab. "Don't tell me I have to carry you again."

"I never mentioned anything like that," he lazily replied. 

"Erm...why aren't you leaving then," Ferdinand pushed the subject. Surely...Linhardt doesn't actually want to spend the night in a mattress store when he has his own home. 

"I did say." Linhardt yawned once more, "just five more minutes...maybe you should relax and take a nap too," he suggested to Ferdinand. 

"Maybe under the appropriate circumstances yes. This is not it, however," Ferdinand frowned but Linhardt didn't notice his face at all. His eyes were closed after all."Why are you sleeping here anyways. A mattress store isn't meant for sleeping. We sell mattresses so you could sleep at home," Ferdinand almost gave him an employee spiel for selling a mattress to a customer. 

"Oh...I was testing mattresses but...it seems that I've fallen asleep along the away," Linhardt remarked casually.

"Of course," Ferdinand said into his palm. Why wouldn't that happen? This was Linhardt. "Wait. How long have you been here? Why didn't Hilda say anything about this?" Ferdinand mumbled to himself.

"...Hilda? Is she the girl with pink hair?" Ferdinand nodded. "She just saw me and said nothing to me. Really kind of her to not interrupt my nap," he said with appreciation in his voice.

"Yes that is...kind of her. However, Linhardt seriously, I need you to leave."

"How many minutes has it been?" Linhardt asked him with his drowsy eyes, ready to go back to sleep any second. 

"Three, but I have to go home Linhardt. I have Sally at home to feed." Ferdinand brought up his golden retriever in hopes that it would rouse Linhardt to leave. Pets did always tug the strings of people's hearts. Maybe this approach will work on him. "Think of Sally," Ferdinand pulled out his phone and show a picture of Sally with a tennis ball in her mouth. 

Linhardt glanced at his phone. "I didn't know you had a dog," was all he said. 

"Oh, I just got her recently," Ferdinand told him . "She's the newest addition to the von Aegir family. She is Sally von Aegir," he talked about his golden retriever with much pride. 

"Sally von Aegir...you gave your pet a last name too," Linhardt stared at him.

"Of course! She's part of the family! Which is why I beg you to leave, now."

Linhardt sighed, and finally surrendered to Ferdinand. "Alright I get it. You don't need to beg. This conversation is making me," he yawned into his hand, "sleepy." Linhardt slowly got up from the mattress. His feet made a soft thud as his feet hit the ground. 

"You don't need a ride home do you?" Ferdinand asked him. 

"No, unless you want me to fall asleep in your car," Linhardt said jokingly but Ferdinand didn't doubt that Linhardt WOULD fall sleep in his car.

"If you need to buy a mattress though, this one is quite comfortable." Linhardt patted the surface of it, and his hand sunk into the material. "I had a satisfactory nap. Eight out of ten rating."

"Thank you for the recommendation...?" Ferdinand said, unsure, a little mystified by Linhardt's response. He had no need of a new mattress. "Will you be buying this? That's a great choice sir, but do come back tomorrow to finalize the purchase," Ferdinand accidentally slipped back into his professional customer service character. 

"Oh no. I'm not buying this," Linhardt reassured him. "I just said I had a good nap."

"Oh...I see..." Ferdinand felt a little disappointed that he couldn't really make a last second sale. 

"Well. Goodbye Ferdinand," Linhardt waved him goodbye and started retreating to the exit of the store. 

"Yes...have a good night," he defaulted to his customer service voice, which wasn't that much different from his regular voice.

Ferdinand just stared at Linhardt's retreating figure. What a strange man. 

"So. Am I going to be yelled at for this?" A voice asked him.

"God?" Ferdinand asked the empty store, startled as he could not detect the source of the voice.

"No Hilda," she giggled.

"Oh Hilda. It's just you," Ferdinand let out a sigh of relief. "Were you eavesdropping?

"Would it be eavesdropping if I saw this whole thing on accident. I had to return these sheets to aisle four, but I didn't want to interrupt so..." Hilda trailed off.

"What about your sprained wrist?" Ferdinand looked at her, confused. He assumed she would have left immediately after he took over her duties. 

"My...Ah!" Hilda recovered quickly. "Yeah, it still hurts. Byleth just told me to do this before I went home for the night."

"I see. Why don't I just put that back for you, you really shouldn't strain yourself like this," Ferdinand furrowed his brows with worry. Why was she working if she had an injury? "You really should get your wrist checked out."

"Thanks Ferdinand!" She shoved the package of sheets into his arms. "I don't know what I would do without you. You're the best!" Hilda sung her praises loud and clear. 

"No need for praise Hilda, I'm just looking out for you." 

There was a soft smile on her face. "Ferdinand, I think you can get employee of the month next month, you deserve it," Hilda told him earnestly.

"You think so?" There was a slither of hope in his voice. 

"Well. Yeah, you got...Linhardt? That's his name, I think, to leave. You’re doing so much better than me," Hilda pointed out. 

It did take a while for Linhardt to leave, but he didn't mention that part to her. "Oh that's nothing, I was just doing my job. But thank you for your compliments Hilda," he thanked her. 

"Of course! You deserve them. I'd love to compliment you more but well, we closed so I'll be going...Goodnight Ferdinand, see ya on Thursday," Hilda almost took off to the staff room as she said her goodbye to him. 

That was his second goodnight of the night...

His thoughts couldn't help but drift to what Linhardt told him earlier. Ferdinand wondered what he would be dreaming of today...would he have another dreamless night, or would it be filled with a silly dream...or would he see faces of people he didn't know from a life he has no recollection of. 

"Perhaps I'm overthinking this..." Ferdinand thought aloud. 

Dreams were dreams.

But he wondered if in another past life, he knew Linhardt. 


End file.
